1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination structure of storage box and center seat for use with a vehicle, designed to allow a storage box or center seat to be movable between a use position Where the storage box or center seat is located between a pair of seats arranged in the width direction of the vehicle, and a retracted position where the storage box or center seat is retracted in a space under one of the seats.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, a current vehicle includes various devices and structures designed to allow a limited interior space to be effectively used to the full. By way of example, there has been known a structure allowing an auxiliary seat to be used at a position located between a pair of seats, such as rear seats, arranged in the width direction of a vehicle while a given space left therebetween or on the side of one of the seats, and to be retracted in a space under the adjacent seats when the auxiliary seat is not used or when it is desired to assure a walk-through space.
In connection with such a structure, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 9-2113 and 2001-130304 disclose a vehicle seat structure comprising a main seat, an auxiliary seat, and an auxiliary-seat receiving chamber provided under the seat cushion of the main seat, wherein the seat cushion is supported in such a manner that it is rotationally moved to close and open the top of the receiving chamber, and the auxiliary seat is supported in such a manner that it is rotationally moved between a use position where the auxiliary seat is located on the side of the main seat and a retracted position where the auxiliary seat is located in the receiving chamber.
As one example of a seat structure designed to receive an object other than an auxiliary seat in a space under a seat, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 7-40783 discloses a vehicle seat structure comprising a cushion frame supporting a cushion body from its underside, and a baggage storage box having at least two flanges which are provided, respectively, at the top edges of the opposite side surfaces thereof and adapted to engage, respectively, with the top edges of the opposite side frames of the cushion frame, wherein the flanges are brought into engagement with the top edges of the opposite side frames of the cushion frame so as to allow the baggage storage box to be received in a space under the cushion body in a hanging manner on the cushion frame. The storage box may be used as a storage space while being held in the space under the seat, or as a basket after taken out of the space.
There is a longstanding need for using a baggage storage box in the state where an occupant sits down on a seat. As one example for meeting this need, it is conceivable to provide a storage box between a pair of seats arranged in the width direction of a vehicle with a given space left therebetween. On the other hand, there is another longstanding need for assuring a walk-through space between seats to allow an occupant to freely move around the interior space of a vehicle. In order to meet both the above needs, it is required to provide a structure capable of allowing a storage box to be located between seats, and readily assuring a walk-through space between the seats as needed.
Even in the case of providing a baggage storage box between a pair of seats arranged in the width direction of a vehicle while a given space left therebetween so as to meet the need for using the storage box in the state where an occupant sits down on the seat, if a center seat retracted under one of the seats is taken out to the space between the seats, for example, due to the situation of occupants, such as increase in the number of occupants, as disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 9-2113 and 2001-130304, the storage box will not be usable.
Therefore, it is desired to provide a structure capable of setting up both the storage box and the center seat between the seats arranged in the vehicle width direction, while maintaining respective intended functionalities of the storage box and the center seat. In this case, it is also desired to allow each of the storage box and the center seat to be set up selectively and readily.